


Keeping Score

by fixomnia



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-15
Updated: 2010-05-15
Packaged: 2017-10-09 11:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/86645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fixomnia/pseuds/fixomnia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In bowling veritas.  Sara and Wendy find time for a little truth between bowls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keeping Score

"You should talk to Cat," Sara urged. She gestured towards Catherine with her beer bottle. "She's been wanting to get you into the field for ages, but you don't need to leave the shift to do it."

Wendy sighed. "I know." She picked at the label on her own beer, and eyeballed Nick and Greg posturing like the primates they were, before they took their turns to bowl. "It would make sense to go through the training with you guys. But I just...I think I need some sun, a bit of a normal life, for a while. Life on the grave really messes with your sense of reality sometimes, you know? Everything seems like it takes place in some other world that you can't explain to day people."

"I hear you. Totally. Why not take some leave time, get some daylight? You don't have to leave the shift. Just take a break and come back ready to go. Either Nick or I would probably be your trainer, and everyone would give you as much help as we could."

Wendy nodded, and took a thoughtful pull of her drink. Sara did the same, and watched the younger woman's gaze drift, before flickering surreptitiously to the right.

_Ah. Hodges, the complicating factor._

The lanky tech caught Wendy's glance and straightened up, with a relaxed, easy grin that made him seem momentarily human.

_Oh, boy. Still?_

_Cat has to know by now. There's no way she'd let herself miss something developing on her team, not after she pretended not to know about Gil and me for so long. She'd get in as much trouble as those crazy kids._

"Hey, Sara?" Wendy asked, not looking at her.

"Mm?"

"I hope you don't mind my asking, but - just how hard is it? Working apart, hardly seeing each other? After everything you guys went through to be together?"

Sara didn't pretend not to follow Wendy's thoughts. "It's hard," she admitted. "But it's an ongoing experiment. We know what we're working towards. And we make every effort we can to keep in touch. But you know...honesty's the main thing. With each other. And everyone around us. We couldn't make it work if we still had to hide from everyone."

"Another strike!" Greg called.

Sara raised her beer in acknowledgement and marked the score sheet in front of her.

She looked around, at the catcalling, fist-bumping colleagues that were their chosen family. The last time they'd all played together, she'd been standing on the outside, her arm in a cast, bandages on her temple. But even so, she'd felt their strength reaching out to her, holding her up. Leaving them all behind had been horribly like breaking her own arm again, but just as necessary to save herelf from drowning. She hadn't known what to expect, coming back to them after abandoning them for a year, but like true family, they'd let her go, let her do what she needed to do, and held a space for her the whole time.

Over the past few years, Wendy had been adopted as well. Whatever was best for her, they'd help her. Whether that meant leaving the shift to follow her heart, or shepherding her through the CSI process while putting her personal life on hold.

_Ten years...I've been with these people for ten years. That's more time than I spent with anyone. Even my parents._

"'Nother beer?" asked Wendy, getting up.

"No, but thanks. And Wendy...talk to Cat. She's seen everything and then some."

Wendy flashed her radiant smile, and headed for the bar. Sara watched as Hodges extricated himself from a conversation with Ray, and followed her.

In a brief pause in the ambient conversation, she heard Hodges' voice: "...should go for coffee or something, after."

"We should," Wendy agreed.

Sara smiled, and reached for her cellphone.

Gil wasn't there with them, but he'd love the video.


End file.
